In a new article, Steven Novella writes about a recent study looking at the hallucinogen DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) and how aspects of human consciousness can be altered.

The most fundamental implication of this research, and other similar research, is that fantastical, religious, mystical, and paranormal experiences may be manifestations solely of altered brain activity. Some of the core experiences we are talking about include ego dissolution, which is the fading away of the self, or any distinction between the self and the rest of the universe. People experience this as a profound oneness with other things, other people, or just the universe itself.

Another core component is the out-of-body experience – a feeling of separation from the body. People may feel as if they are floating, and also often report seeing their own body as if they are separated from it.